I am a keynote speaker and communication coach for the world’s most admired brands. I am the author of seven international bestsellers including my newest book, "Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World's Top Minds." Learn more at www.talkliketed.com.
I also wrote "The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs" and "The Apple Experience," the first book revealing the secrets of the wildly popular Apple Store and how any brand can leverage the Apple Store lessons to improve the customer experience.
The BrightSight Group in Princeton, New Jersey, represents me as a keynote speaker worldwide. I graduated from UCLA and have a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern. I live in Pleasanton, California, with my wife and two daughters.

Ben Affleck Should Be Your Wardrobe Consultant

When director/actor Ben Affleck promoted his new movie, Argo, on shows like Bill O’Reilly and Jimmy Kimmel Live, he wore sharp-looking suits and ties. When he appeared at more casual events he still wore suits and high-quality dress shirts, but he lost the tie. Affleck tries to look a little better than those around him.

As a communications coach I’m often asked, “What should I wear for the presentation?” You’ve probably had the same question yourself—what do you wear for your television interview, job interview, or keynote speech. A military hero once gave me the best advice I’ve ever heard.

I met Matt Eversmann at a business conference. Eversmann was a U.S army ranger who fought in a battle in Mogadishu, Somalia, in 1993. The battle inspired a movie, Black Hawk Down. Backstage at the conference, Eversmann and I started talking about communications. “What’s the secret to great leadership?” I asked him. Eversmann said, “Leadership starts from the moment you first meet a subordinate. Your whites should be whiter, your shoes should be shinier, your pants should be better pressed. Always dress a little better than everyone else.”

Always dress a little better than everyone else.

This is the best—and only—wardrobe advice you’ll ever need. Seriously. It’s why I’ll never write a book about how to dress for success. You don’t need more than that. Think about the critical part of the statement: a “little” better. It implies that you should dress well, but appropriate for the occasion or the corporate culture. A friend of mine was recently hired at Google. Google is known for having a dressed-down, casual culture. If he had shown up with a tie, he would have stood out in the wrong way and if he had decided to dress ‘down,’ like the average employee with a t-shirt and jeans, he also would have left an unremarkable impression. Instead he got a haircut, bought a new dress shirt that fit well, and wore slacks and a casual sport coat. He was dressed “a little better” than everyone else, yet appropriate for the culture.

Affleck wants to be taken seriously as a movie director—a leader. A leader commands credibility from the moment he or she walks into the room. When Affleck had the opportunity to be seen as a leader in front of millions of viewers, he took his cue from the people who interviewed him—if they wore a suit and tie, so did he. If the “culture” was more casual like a morning show or outside event, Affleck lost the tie, but still wore a nice suit and a great-looking dress shirt. Affleck’s dress shirts look very expensive, but you don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on a shirt. The key is to make sure it fits well. I order shirts from a British company, Charles Tyrwhitt, because they carry a variety of different ‘fits’ that range in price from $60 to $80.

I just finished The New York Times bestseller, No Easy Day. Now, you wouldn’t think that wardrobe would play a role in the career success of a U.S Navy Seal who is trained to survive in the most challenging conditions, but what to wear certainly did play a role in becoming a member of the exclusive SEAL Team Six. In the book, author Mark Owen talks about preparing for his oral interview, the last step to being accepted. “I arrived early for my interview in my dress blue uniform with all of my ribbons and awards. I’d gotten a haircut the day before and made sure my shave was close…It was one of those rare times I knew a haircut, shined shoes, and a pressed uniform really mattered for a SEAL.”

Your wardrobe says a lot about you and your leadership abilities. It should reflect your role as a leader without being distracting. So the next time you’re trying to decide on what to wear, settle on something just a little better than everyone else.

Post Your Comment

Post Your Reply

Forbes writers have the ability to call out member comments they find particularly interesting. Called-out comments are highlighted across the Forbes network. You'll be notified if your comment is called out.